This invention relates to a method of making a cake mix which is storage stable so that cakes of high specific volume and exhibiting high acceptability characteristics may be prepared therefrom. The invention also relates to a leavening agent coating composition for preventing premature reaction of the sodium bicarbonate leavening agent with the acidic leavening agent when both types of leavening agent are mixed with the other components of a cake mix, and to the leavening composition.
In the production of cake mixes, it has been customary to incorporate sodium bicarbonate and an acid-type leavening agent with the oter components of the cake mix and to keep the moisture content of the cake mix low enough to prevent or to minimize reaction of the sodium bicarbonate leavening agent with the acidic leavening agent sufficiently to permit the preparation of batters from the cake mixes which will rise well and produce cakes of good specific volumes and texture. Various expedients have been tried to avoid premature release of carbon dioxide from the sodium bicarbonate. However, none of these has proven sufficiently effective to enable storing of complete cake mixes at relatively high temperatures, such as up to 100.degree.F., for long storage times, such as six months or more, without incurring rather large losses of carbon dioxide while in storage. The result of such poor storage stability of conventional cake mixes has been the production of cakes having unacceptably low specific volumes from cake mixes prepared conventionally and stored at a temperature of, or approaching, 100.degree.F. for several months prior to making cakes therefrom. This has been a particularly difficult problem for the Armed Forces because of the high temperatures encountered in some storage facilities as well as during shipment and because of the long times which elapse between the manufacture of cake mixes and the use thereof in the field espcially at remote points in the field.
In order to avoid premature reaction of the sodium bicarbonate with the acidic leavening agent of cake mixes, the Armed Forces adopted a procedure whereby the sodium bicarbonate, instead of being mixed with the other ingredients of the cake mix prior to storage, is sealed in a packet which has an extremely low rate of transmission of moisture. A packet of sodium bicarbonate in the quantity needed for making a cake out of the cake mix is inclosed in the container in which the cake mix is sealed. However, this procedure results in certain problems in the use of the cake mixes in the field, particularly in obtaining thorough mixing of the sodium bicarbonate with the other ingredients of the cake mix before preparing a cake better therefrom and baking a cake.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of making a cake mix which is highly storage stable and capable of producing a baked cake of high specific volume after storage of the cake mix at temperatues as high as 100.degree.F. and for times of as long as six months.
Another object is to provide a leavening agent coating composition which, when applied as a coating to particles of sodium bicarbonate and dried, substantially prevents reaction of the sodium bicarbonate with the acidic-type leavening agent in the cake mix while it is in storage and prior to the deliberate mixing of water with the cake mix for the purpose of preparing a cake therefrom.
A further object is to provide a leavening composition for incorporation in a cake mix to improve the storage stability thereof.
Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description, and the novel features will be particularly point out in connection with the appended claims.